How To Make Real Tonkotsu Ramen

Into a large stock pot, add the trotters. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover by about 2” (5cm) above the bones. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 10 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, occasionally skim the white foamy “scum,” floating on the surface of the water and discard.

Strain the liquid in a colander, reserving the trotters. Rinse the trotters with cold water. Return the trotters to the stock pot and once again, add enough water to cover the trotters, this time by about 3” (7.5cm), to allow for evaporation.

Add the green onions, shallots, onion, ginger and garlic.

Bring to a rapid boil over high heat then reduce the heat to maintain the boil at the lowest possible temperature without reaching a simmer. Cover the pot and boil for 12 hours. (Constant boiling causes emulsification in the broth which is how it becomes creamy and rich.) During the 12 hours, intermittently add water as it evaporates and also stir the pot to keep the pork from resting at the bottom of the pot and burning.

After 12 hours, turn off the heat and strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the solids and keeping the liquid gold.

Heat the broth to serve.

Preheat the oven to 300℉ (149℃).

In a heavy-bottom cast iron Dutch oven add the green onions, ginger, garlic, sake, Shaoxing, mirin, soy sauce and water. Set aside.

Starting from the short side, roll the pork belly upward into a tight log. Using 3 lengths of butcher’s twine, truss the pork belly on both ends and in the middle, to hold the shape.

Put the pork belly into the Dutch oven with the aromatics and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, partially cover with a lid, and place in the preheated oven to braise for 3-4 hours until tender, making sure to rotate and baste the pork belly intermittently throughout the course of the braise.

Slice the chashu into ½” (12mm)-thick rounds.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a rolling boil over high heat.

Carefully add the eggs into the boiling water.

Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 6 ½ - 7 minutes.

Remove the soft-boiled eggs from the boiling water and immediately submerge in a bowl of ice water. Cool to room temperature and peel to remove the shells. Slice the eggs in half, to serve.

For the dashi: Into a small saucepan add the kombu and water. Heat on medium-low until just steaming. Do not boil. Turn off the heat, cover and allow to steep for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add the bonito flakes and steep for 5 minutes. Strain the dashi into a medium bowl using a fine mesh sieve.

Into the dashi, add the soy sauce, mirin, chashu braising liquid and shiitake mushroom soaking water, if using. Season, to taste, with salt.

Into a serving bowl, add several spoonfuls of the tare to start; you can add more, if needed.

Pour the heated tonkotsu broth into the serving bowl with the tare. Taste to determine if more tare is necessary to season the broth.

Add the cooked ramen noodles.

Add a couple slices of chashu on top of the noodles, along with the halved soft-boiled egg.

Add sliced, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and a handful of fresh enoki mushrooms.

Top with a generous handful of sliced green onions.

Finish with a couple rectangles of nori.